Rubber-tire-joint-closing machine.



No. 741,788.` Y PATENTED 00T. zo, 190s.

1 1.11. GUBER.

RUBBER` TIRE JOINT CLOSING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED sBPT. 15, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES rammed october 2o, 190s.

PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK II. GUBER, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TOJ. F6.

MANTER, lOF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

CLOSING MACT-HNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Iiatent` No. 741,788, datedOctober 20, 1903. i

Application inea septemtrit; 1902.

'l) (1J/Z whom, it may con/007%:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK H. GUBER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rubber-Tire-Joint-Closing Machines, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to rubbertire-joint closing machines; and my objectis to produce a machine of this character which performs its functionsefticientlyand reliably and which can be easily and quickly operated.

A further object is toproduce va machine which is of simple, strong,durable, and inexpensive construction.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel andpeculiar features of construction and combinationsu of parts, ashereinafter described and nclaimed, and in order that it may be fullyunderstood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a front view of a machine embodying my invention andshowing the same partly inA section and as closing the joint of a rubbertire. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line II of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is anV enlarged section taken on the line III of Fig. 1. Fig. 4is an enlarged section taken on the line IV of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is anenlarged section taken on the line V of Fig. 1.

In the said drawings, 1 designates a frame braced in any suitable mannerin a vertical position, so as to be substantially rigid, and 2 parallelangle-plates secured vertically to the back of the frame, so as toprovide grooves 3 for a sliding weight 4, said weight having aforwardly-projecting stub-shaft 5 for a pur-` pose which hereinafterappears.

6 designates a cable or chain attached at its lower end to the slidingweight and guided over a pulley 7, suitably supported, and having itsopposite end adjustably connected to the frame, preferably by means of aseries of links 8, any one of which is adapted to engage the hook 9 onthe frame. The connection 6 is provided with a branch 10,connected as at11 or otherwise to one end of a bar 12, the opposite end of said barbeing pivotally connected, as at 13, to a screw 14, said screw en-Serial No. 123.389. (No model.)

gaging the internally-threaded sleeve 15, carrying a hand wheel or crank16 at its opposite end,so that the rotation of the sleeve shall impartlongitudinal movement in one direction or the other to the screw.

To prevent longitudinal movement `of the sleeve, it is provided withcollars or enlargements 17, disposed at opposite sides of the bearing inwhich the sleeve is journaled, said bearing consisting of a base-plate18 and a cap 19, riveted together, as at 20, the rivets extending alsothrougha plate 21, swiveled upon a bolt 22, secured to frame l, aspacing collar or washer 23 upon the bolt being disposed between theframe and swiveled plate to reduce friction.

A pair of clamps for rigidly holding the Wheel being operated eachconsists of an inverted-U-shaped frame 24, having one arm swiveled upona bolt 25, said arm forming the stationary jaw 0f the clamp and havingits inner side cushioned, as at 26, to avoid marring the finish of thewheel. The other jaw of the clamp consists of a plate 27, cushioned atits inner side, as at 28, and swiveled upon the inner end of ahand-screw 29,1nounted inthe outer arm of the U-shaped frame.

By turning said screw the movable jaw is advanced toward or withdrawnfrom the stationary jaw, rotatable action of the movable jaw beingprevented by means of a guide-pin 30, secured rigidly to the same andprojecting outwardly through the frame, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and4.

31 designates a series of rods journaled in bar 12 and having their endsoppositely `threaded andengaging the oppositely-threaded clamp-plates32, so that by turning said threaded'rods in one direction or the otherthe clampplates shall be caused to move on ,guide-pins 33 toward or fromthe bar and ,clamp or. release the upper ends of a corre- ICO pressedpreliminary to the brazing of the wires in the usual manner and by anysuitable machinery, (not shown,) the operator, if the joint is to beclosed by my machine, slips a plurality of wires, preferably four, underthe end of the tire to be compressed and leaves their ends projectingoutwardly, so as to form the clips hereinbefore described. To insert thewheel so that the tire-joint may be closed, the operator breaks theconnection between the sliding frame and frame 1 by disconnecting thelink S from hook 9. This permits frame 4 to slide down low enough forthe wheel, whatever the size, to be slipped upon the stub-shaft 5.Theoperator then grasps the connection 6 contiguous to its free end andpulls down upon it until he draws the wheel up into clamps 24, thepressure of the tire against the top of the clamps causing the latter toassume a position concentric of the wheel, it being understood thatthere is sufficient friction in the swivel of the clamps to prevent themfreely swinging down to an inverted position. The operator next engagesthe proper link 8 with hook 9 to sustain the wheel in such'position andthen turns handscrews 29 until the wheel is gripped rigidly between thecushioned jaws of the clamps. He then manipulates the wheel 16 so thatthe bar 12 can be arranged contiguous to and parallel withthe compressedportion of the tire and then bends the ends of the clips 34 slightlyaround the adjacent rods 3l, this ac- `tion being followed by themanipulation of said rods by means of a Wrench, so as to clamp the clipsrigidly between plates 32 and bar 12, all of the operations describedbeing performed in a very short time. The opel'- ator now grasps thehand wheel or crank 16 and operates it, so as to draw the compressed endof the tire toward the opposite end, and in this connection it will beapparent that the pull is at a tangent to the periphery of the felly, sothat there shall be practically no frictional resistance between theaction of the compressed end ot' the tire and the contiguous portion o fthe felly.

In most cases an imperceptible slippage occurs between the compressedend of the tire and the wires whereby the compressed end shall alone beelongated and no strain be applied on the balance of the tire. Shouldthis slippage not occur, however, the operator after removing part ofthe compression on the tire may loosen the clip most remote from` thehand-wheel, then remove more compression, then loosen the next clip, andso on until the joint is completely closed and the ends of the tirecemented together in the customary manner, and in this connection itwill be noticed that by reason of the fact that plate 21 providesaswivel-bearing for the screw and because of the pivotal connectionbetween the latter and bar 12 the varying position which the screwnecessarily assumes is automatically accommodated.

Before proceeding with the operation of wheel 16 the branch cable ispreferably detached from the clip carrying clamp and looped out of theWay, and after the tire is secured the clips are disengaged from thebar-clamp and drawn from under the tire.

With my machine old tires as well as new can be operated upon withoutinjury and a practically uniform tension be imparted to them to the endthat their period of service may be increased.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced arubber-tirejoint-closing machine which embodies the features ofadvantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of invention, andwhile I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of thesame it is to be understood that I reserve the right to make suchchanges as shall properly fall within the spirit and scope of theinvention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine of the character described, a frame, a wheel-carryingweight to slide up and down therein, a cable connecting the weight andframe to hold the former elevated, means to hold the elevated wheelagainst rotative action, a clamp, a branch of the cable attached t0 oneend of the clamp as a support therefor, and means attached to theopposite end of the clamp to effect adjustment thereof approximatelyparallel with the periphery of the wheel.

2. In a machine of the character described` a suitable frame, a platesuitably swiveled thereto and carrying a bearing, a threaded sleevejournaled in the bearing, a screw engaging the said sleeve, a clamppivoted to the opposite end of the screw, a sliding weight carrying thewheel, clips attached to the IOO compressed end of the tire, and to saidclamp,

